RYANAIR will launch four daily flights from London to Shannon next summer if the Irish Government accepts the airline’s expansion plan.
The carrier has pledged to create a hub in Shannon if it is allowed to build its own terminal at Dublin Airport.
Airport owner Aer Rianta is currently studying Ryanair’s Dublin proposals, but has welcomed the airline’s plans for its Shannon airport.
Ryanair commercial director Tim Jeans said: “We want our own pier, if not our own terminal, at Dublin for separate operations so we can run our own low-cost model.
“We have a commitment to the Irish marketplace and Shannon is a big part of this.”
Jeans said a decision on Shannon could be made in the next month. He said flights would start to London, and the airline has not ruled out serving Gatwick instead of Stansted.
However, Jeans accepts slot congestion at Gatwick may force it to opt for Stansted.
He would not confirm the frequency, but a spokesman for Shannon Airport revealed the schedule would be four a day to enable Ryanair to be competitive with Virgin Express on the route.
Ryanair has also proposed serving Glasgow Prestwick with two daily flights from Shannon next year. Plans have also been put forward to serve Frankfurt, Brussels and Paris from Shannon.
This winter, Ryanair is increasing capacity on key routes with the introduction of larger Boeing 737s.
The 189-seater -800 B737 is being used from Stansted to cities including Stockholm and Pisa to provide 59 extra seats on each flight. The new B737 replaces the smaller -200 type.
The Irish airline also launches a double-daily Stansted-Aarhus flight on November 4 and is increasing services from four to seven a day on Stansted-Glasgow and from two to three a day on Stansted-Frankfurt this winter. Return fares lead in at £19.99. The airline claims 50% of seats will be available at the cheapest rate.